Element Resources will use solar power and battery storage to ensure 24/7 production.
Element Resources is investing $1.85 billion in what is planned to be North America’s largest hydrogen production facility. Construction on the Lancaster Clean Energy Center (LCEC), located in that city about 70 miles north of Los Angeles, is scheduled to begin later this year.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced the company would be among the beneficiaries of a $30.5 million in tax credits as part of the state’s California Jobs First initiative. When operational in mid-2027, the 2,100-acre facility will deliver zero-carbon hydrogen fuel to the heavy- and medium-duty transportation sectors, public transit authorities, rail and port operations.
The facility is expected to produce 22,000 tons of green hydrogen in gaseous and liquid form per year (60,000 kg per day). The distribution plan will use zero-emission trucks running on hydrogen fuel cells.
Steve Meheen, CEO of Element, told pv magazine USA that the LCEC will be a fully integrated green hydrogen power plant that is not reliant on off-site grid electricity nor any outside water source.
“The LCEC will be powered fully by on-site solar energy and use groundwater from the aquifer under the land,” Meheen said. “The facility will only use 15 to 20% of the water formerly being used to irrigate carrots, onions and potatoes on the land, significantly minimizing water usage. A long-duration battery energy storage system will ensure 24/7 hydrogen production.”
Element Resources will own and operate the plant, functioning as a supplier for the First Public Hydrogen Authority, a public utility founded by the City of Lancaster and including the City of Industry. The utility will sell the hydrogen for use in city buses, heavy-duty port vehicles, power plants (as a blended fuel) and aviation.
Its partners on the project include include the City of Lancaster, the ARCHES statewide hydrogen partnership, the Center for Hydrogen Safety, the California Transit Association and the California Hydrogen Business Council.
Meheen says the LCEC will help the ultimate consumers of its green hydrogen to meet California’s ambitious clean energy targets. Element is exploring the possibility of developing another hydrogen facility in Boron, Calif.
California is moving aggressively to develop a hydrogen production and distribution infrastructure. Last year, Avina Clean Hydrogen broke ground on a green hydrogen facility in Vernon, Calif., that will serve heavy- and medium transportation needs of the Port of Long Beach.
